This application claims the priority of German patents 198 08 910.4 filed Mar. 3, 1998 and 198 44 319.6 filed Sep. 28, 1998.
The invention relates to a covering for an air bag retaining device of a motor vehicle.
German Patent Document DE 41 37 926 A1 describes an air bag covering in an instrument panel, which consists of two layers, one layer being a closing element made of an elastomer foam layer which is connected with the other layer with a melt-type adhesive. This air bag covering is connected with the dashboard by way of a band-shaped joint.
Such a connection, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of German Patent Document DE 41 37 926 A1 by way of screws or rivets, which extend transversely with respect to the direction of the force, when the air bag covering is pushed open by the air bag, has only a low mechanical stability. In addition, the mounting of such an air bag covering is very difficult and cumbersome because it has to be positioned for this purpose and little space will then remain for the tool. Furthermore, the inflation of the air bag may be hindered by the air bag covering.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a covering for an air bag retaining device of a motor vehicle which is pushed upon toward the interior of the motor vehicle by an air bag and is held on a defined moving path by at least one hinge strap at least along a section of its opening movement, in which case the connection of the covering to the motor vehicle is easily mountable and the inflation of the air bag is not hindered by the covering.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a covering for an air bag retaining device of a motor vehicle, comprising: a structure defining an opening behind which the air bag retaining device is to be mounted, said structure being located proximate a windshield of the vehicle; a lid arranged to cover said opening in a closed position, said lid to be displaced from said closed position by an air bag to be inflated from the air bag retaining device; at least one hinge strap coupled to the lid and coupled to a fixed location behind said opening, wherein when the lid is in said closed position, the hinge strap extends between the air bag retaining device and the lid to an outlet point or to a mounting point on the lid which point, viewed essentially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is situated on a half of the lid farther removed from the windshield on a side of the lid facing away from a motor vehicle interior.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a covering for an air bag retaining device of a motor vehicle, comprising: a structure defining an opening behind which the air bag retaining device is to be mounted; a lid arranged to cover said opening in a closed position, said lid to be displaced from said closed position by an air bag to be inflated from the air bag retaining device; at least one hinge strap coupled to the lid and coupled to a fixed location behind said opening, said at least one hinge strap including an unrestrained portion extending between said fixed location and a point of engagement located on a first half of said lid, wherein when said lid is in said closed position, said unrestrained portion extends from said point of engagement, between an interior side of the lid and the air bag retaining device to an intermediate location between said air bag retaining device and a second half of said lid, and from said intermediate location to said fixed location.
According to the invention, a covering for an air bag retaining device of a motor vehicle with a vehicle body, having a lid which, after the air bag retaining device has been triggered, is pushed open by an air bag toward an interior of the motor vehicle and is held by at least one hinge strap. The hinge strap is connected with the lid, at least along a section of its opening movement on a defined movement path with respect to the vehicle body because the hinge strap is mounted at a vehicle-body-fixed fastening point on the motor vehicle and on the lid. Prior to deployment of the air bag, the hinge strap extends between the air bag retaining device and the lid to an outlet point or to a mounting point on the lid. The outlet point or mounting point, viewed essentially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is situated on a half of the lid farther removed from the windshield on a side of the lid facing away from the motor vehicle interior.
This has the advantage that the hinge strap is relatively long. Therefore, the lid connected with it, when the hinge strap is mounted to the vehicle-body-fixed fastening point, can be deposited at a point where it does not hinder the fitter, for example, on the dashboard. As the result of the larger length of the hinge strap, the lid is also completely displaced from the inflating space by the air bag when the air bag is triggered. The course of the hinge strap, when the air bag retaining device is not triggered, also contributes thereto. If the hinge strap is at least partially between the air bag retaining devices and the lid, the inflating air bag comes in contact with the hinge strap which was tensioned after a short time, which contact advantageously accelerates the lid opening movement.
Because of the linking according to the invention in conjunction with the inflation of the air bag, the opening movement of the lid advantageously takes place to a large part as a translational movement and with little rotation. The lid is displaced in a parallelogram-type manner with an effect which is similar to over-dead-center kinematics.
The position of the hinge strap at least partially between the air bag retaining device and the lid also contributes to a simple mountability of the lid. The lid can easily be closed from the motor vehicle interior. The hinge strap will then automatically be situated between the air bag retaining device and the lid.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the lid is mounted to a steering wheel. As a result, in the case of an air bag retaining device for a steering wheel, the connection of the lid is easily mountable and the inflation of the air bag is not hindered by the covering.
In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the lid for closing an opening is mounted in the dashboard. The gas retaining device consists of an air bag module behind the dashboard. Here, the above-mentioned advantages are utilized for a front passenger air bag. In this case, it is also found to be advantageous that the translational opening movement helps to prevent the lid from coming into contact with the windshield and the latter is therefore protected from destruction. For this reason, in addition to the hinge strap, no catch bands, which further limit its moving path, are required for the cover.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hinge strap is form-lockingly connected with the lid. Such a form-locking connection between the hinge strap and the lid has the advantage that very large forces can act upon the covering which are then transmitted from the hinge strap by way of the fastening point to the vehicle body.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the lid consists of at least one dimensionally stable core and at least one padding layer and the hinge strap is connected with the covering in that it is guided through recesses of the core and is at least partially surrounded by the padding layer.
Such a connection between the core and the hinge strap of the covering has the advantage that its stability is particularly high, in particular in the tension direction of the hinge straps. The covering is therefore reliably held back by the hinge strap and nevertheless has a simple construction.
In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the hinge strap is form-lockingly connected at one end with the core and is guided in the direction of its other end situated outside the padding layer through the recesses of the core. This has a particularly favorable influence on the flux of force.
In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, during the holding-back of the covering, a very favorable flux of force is created if at least two hinge straps are used in an essentially parallel arrangement for holding the lid. As a result, the lid is guided better on its moving path in the transverse direction of the vehicle and the hinge straps are better protected against breakage.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one additional hinge strap or the hinge strap is guided, by means of its one end on a half of the lid situated closer to the windshield on a side of the lid facing away from the motor vehicle interior, out of this lid and is mounted at a vehicle-body-side fastening point on the motor vehicle.
Due to this linking of the lid with one outlet point of a hinge strap respectively on the upper and the lower half of the lid, its opening movement in conjunction with the inflation of the air bag takes an even more favorable course. The lid is guided even more securely during its translational movement and the rotation of the lid is prevented even more. In addition, the effect of the over-dead-center kinematics is intensified.
In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one hinge strap is fastened by being looped at one end around a bow, the bow being connected with the core.
Such a bow, which has, for example, a rod-shaped or tube-shaped construction and is screwed to the core from below, has the advantage that, in the case of air bag coverings with a foil-type foam-backing, the hinge straps can be mounted after the foaming process. As a result, no marks will occur on the body shell. Furthermore, the sealing-off of the foaming tool is facilitated with respect to an outflow of foam. In addition, air bag coverings can be formed in the case of which only foil is glued to the cores.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.